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The Sony Xperia U is the smallest of its NXT range siblings, with a 3.5in Bravia-branded touchscreen at a resolution of 480 x 854.

Powered by a 1GHz processor with 512MB of Ram, the phone doesn't quite match the brawn of its brothers either, but in family tradition does start the party off with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, with the promise of an Ice Cream Sandwich update by the end June for all who attend.

While there is an additional 2GB of space reserved for apps and app data, there's just 4GB of internal memory and no Micro SD port. So users will have to rely on the cloud for further storage.

Other specs include a 5Mp camera with HD video recording, 3D surround-sound tech and DLNA compatibility.

Being at the lower end of the price scale, the U is aimed at more youthful buys, so it's no surprise the Xperia U comes with exchangeable caps, which'll either differentiate devices, or simply satisfy those with pernickety design desires.

The transparent part lights up too, matching the colour of photos and album art like a Philips Ambilight TV does. Snazzy.